Chamber Chosen Charity

Wirral Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce that its Charity of the Year for 2016/2017 is Autism Together.

Autism Together is an award-winning charity dedicated to improving the lives of people of all ages with Autism. Established for nearly fifty years, it has become one of the country’s leading providers of services and support to people and families which are affected by autism.

Before choosing their Charity of the Year Wirral Chamber of Commerce asked a number of charities to put themselves forward with details of their achievements over the past year. Although a difficult decision it was felt that the work of Autism Together would be supported by the Chamber.

Paula Basnett, CEO, Wirral Chamber of Commerce said, “We had many responses, there are some fantastic charities in Wirral undertaking incredibly worthwhile work. We were drawn by the efforts it puts into fundraising within the community, and also the work it does in supporting children, young people and their families to lead full rich lives despite this condition.

She added, “Working together will enable our staff and our Chamber members to be involved in Autism Together activities, to understand more about autism by meeting with people with autism to see how we can support them.”

Robin Bush, CEO, Autism Together, commented, “I am absolutely delighted that Wirral Chamber of Commerce has chosen Autism Together as its Charity of the Year. We have always prided ourselves on being an ‘at the heart of the community’ charity and to have over 650 members of the Chamber lending us their support this year is a real boost. I’m really excited at the programme of events we have planned and can’t wait for what’s in store. A big thank you to the Chamber for choosing Autism Together to be their Charity of the Year 2017 – 2018.”

In 1968 a group of parents established The Wirral Society for Autistic Children, which was the forerunner for Autism Together. The organisation has grown from providing support to people with autism, to providing a wide range of living options, day services and community support to people from all over the UK.

Autism Together continues to develop the quality of the services it provides and receives national recognition for the work carried out. Autism is puzzling even to experts, so it is little wonder that it has given rise to many misconceptions. Here we answer the most commonly asked questions.

Although it was first identified in 1943, there are still many myths surrounding autism. However, public understanding of the condition is crucial in order to help improve the lives of people with autism throughout the UK. Autism Together is currently working towards making the Liverpool City Region one of the first autism-friendly areas in the UK.